Supporting Male and Female Fertility With Vitamin D

Video: how to increase sperm count naturally with food

Research suggests that the pregnancy vitamin D may have a important role in supporting healthy birth weights and protecting sperm DNA.

Vitamin D is the collective name given to a group of compounds that help the body absorb key nutrients. Without vitamin D, the body is unable to properly utilise magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphate, and zinc.

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) are particularly important for human health. In addition to diet, vitamin D is synthesised in the skin from cholesterol in response to adequate sun exposure. This vitamin is necessary to support overall health, including fertility.

Clinical Study: Vitamin D and female fertility in rats

There has been a series of animal experiments that demonstrate the importance of vitamin D in female mammalian fertility. One study investigated the effects of a deficiency in this vitamin on reproductive capacity, fertility, and foetal and neonatal development in female rats. The rats were either maintained on a vitamin D deficient diet or vitamin D replete diet.

Results

While the rats deficient in vitamin D in this study were still able to conceive, the quality of their litter declined. Other studies have confirmed similar results, with rats struggling to product normal mature eggs and exhibiting poor uterus development1.

Clinical Study: Vitamin D supports healthy birth weights

Vitamin D receptors are located in the uterus, placenta and ovaries. Calcitriol, an active form of this vitamin, is necessary for the synthesis of oestrogen and plays a role in embryo implantation. This compound also helps to protect the uterus and placenta during pregnancy. It elevates immune function to support a healthy pregnancy.

In a study by Gernand and colleagues, researchers were interested in determining the link between maternal vitamin D levels and measures of placental and newborn weight2. A total of 2,146 pregnant women participated in the study.

Results

The study found that

Women with low vitamin D levels in the first trimester doubled the risk of delivering babies with small birth weights.

This study confirms that vitamin D is important for supporting healthy foetal development. Low levels of this vitamin cause growth restrictions on the developing baby, reducing birth weight. Pregnancy complications such as hypertension, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia have also been linked to insufficient vitamin D levels3.

Vitamin D and male fertility

There is growing evidence to suggest that vitamin D is very important for male fertility. There are enzymes found within male and female reproductive tissues that specialise in metabolising vitamin D4.

Early research by Corbett and colleagues established that human sperm has receptors for vitamin D5. These receptors are concentrated in the mid-piece and head of sperm. Scientists believe that this vitamin may play a critical role in stabilising chromosomal structure and regulation of DNA fragmentation6.

Top vitamin D foods

Foods such as fortified cereals, soy products, shellfish, fish, eggs, dairy and mushroom are good dietary sources of vitamin D. Spending time outdoors in sunlight can also boost concentrations of this vitamin within the body.

Summary

Vitamin D has been shown to play an important role in the growth and development of unborn babies. There is evidence that this vitamin may also be important for the health of mothers during pregnancy. Other research suggests that sperm may rely on this vitamin to help protect sperm DNA from oxidative stress.

Using vitamin D to improve male fertility

Vitamin D is a powerful fertility enhancing nutrient for men and women, but it is also just one of many so called fertility-nutrients. Clinical research studies have consistently shown that

oxidative stress is the single biggest factor for decreased male fertility through DNA damage7. It can be reduced very effectively with the correct antioxidants.

combinations of multiple nutrients are more effective at improving male fertility than single micronutrients8, because “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link”.

We have therefore compared all of the top male fertility combination supplements in a transparent, side-by-side evaluation.

Your website really helped us manage our expectations and be realistic about planning our family. We decided to have our second child immediately to get it all out of the way. Thank you for all the amazing, free info! Victoria xx – Cambridge

Priceless!!

Once we understood the link between our diet and fertility we cut out all the processed food, took the fertilsan m supplement and got pregnant three months later. I am now in week 15. I can’t thank you guys enough at human-fertility!! Danielle xo – Lyon

We are pregnant!

I was about to shell out for ICSI, but the information on human-fertility helped me better understand the readings of my semen analysis. This enabled me to take specific and measured action to improve my sperm count and morphology with the right nutrients. My wife is now in week 27 🙂 Fingers crossed, James – Dublin

Improved my sperm

We were a bit lost after everyone told us different things about how to get pregnant, but the articles on your website helped us keep on trying. We had our baby son in February. Several of my friends are also subscribed to your site now. I can’t thank you enough! Caroline xx – Gothenburg

We almost gave up

Your website helped us to perfectly plan out a pregnancy around our busy lifestyles. We have been blessed with identical twins and still cannot believe our luck! Thank you so much from a tired but happy Tom and Anahi 🙂 – Barcelona

The perfect plan

Thanks to the information from human-fertility we postponed IVF treatment and got pregnant naturally with food supplements and ovulation timing. This money is now in our daughter’s Child Trust Fund! Best regards, Richard – Hamburg

We saved thousands

WE HELP YOU GET PREGNANT!

Our mission is to help you conceive a child easier and faster. The site is equally relevant to both men and women:

Men will learn many simple tricks and measures to proactively improve their fertility. Women will learn about the many factors that influence their fertility and methods to calculate their fertile window.

If you have not been able to conceive naturally, this website also lists the best known fertility clinics. We help you find the right specialist, who will help you get pregnant using techniques like ICSI or IVF.

All the information in our articles and videos is based on clinical fertility research.

We sincerely hope this site gives you the help you deserve for a new era of your relationship and your family!

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.